At least 90 people -including a BBC driver - are dead and 400 more are injured after a massive bomb concealed in a sewage tanker ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter this morning.

Bodies littered the street and a towering plume of smoke could be seen over the Afghan capital after the truck attack blew out the windows in a number of foreign missions and residences nearby.

Officials said most of the casualties this morning were civilians and 'many women and children' were among the victims. The powerful blast left a gaping crater at least 15ft deep.

This morning, it emerged that BBC Afghan driver Mohammed Nazir had been killed in the explosion and that four BBC journalists have been wounded. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

A number of employees at the German consulate have also been hurt and an Afghan security guard stationed outside the building was killed in the suicide bomb, which was also close to the British, French and US embassies.

The Afghan Taliban this morning denied responsibility for the attack, which comes just days into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. No group immediately claimed to have carried out the atrocity, but both the Taliban and ISIS have staged large-scale attacks in Kabul in the past.

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This was the devastating scene after a bomb concealed in a water tanker ripped through the diplomatic quarter of Kabul killing at least 90

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Shocking pictures show a huge plume of smoke over the Afghan capital and people covered in blood near the scene

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Soldiers were called in as fire from the explosion spread to cars and buildings in the area. More than 350 people were injured

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An Afghan man reacts at the site of a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning. Bodies littered the streets and hundreds were left injured

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Pictures from the scene show a massive tower of smoke climbing into the sky in the aftermath of a huge truck bomb in Kabul

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In the devastating aftermath of the bomb, emergency crews arrived to find the mangled, twisted wreckage of cars and buildings with windows smashed out

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At least 90 are feared dead and hundreds more have been injured in a massive explosion near the British embassy in Kabul

Amid the chaos and confusion in the aftermath of the blast this morning, officials initially said 50 had been killed. Reuters later reported the country's health ministry as saying the death toll was at least 90.

The blast, which shattered windows and blew doors off their hinges in houses hundreds of yards away, was unusually strong, with some reports saying it was caused by explosives concealed in a water tanker.

A statement from the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission in Kabul said Afghan security forces had prevented the vehicle from entering the heavily protected Green Zone that houses many foreign embassies as well as RS headquarters, suggesting it may not have reached its intended target.

The explosion caused carnage during rush hour when roads are packed with worktime commuters.

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The interior ministry was calling on Kabul residents to donate blood this morning, saying hospitals were in 'dire need'.

A statement from the Ministry of Interior Affairs says it 'condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack' that killed so many, including women and children.

'These heinous acts go against the values of humanity as well values of peaceful Afghans,' the statement added. 'These attacks also demonstrate the extreme level of atrocity by terrorists against innocent civilians.'

It appeared to have gone off close to a busy intersection in the Wazir Akbar Khan district but Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, did not have a more precise location.

BBC DRIVER DEAD AND FOUR JOURNALISTS ARE INJURED

The BBC's Afghan driver was killed and four of its journalists were injured in the truck bomb.

'It is with great sadness that the BBC can confirm the death of BBC Afghan driver Mohammed Nazir following the vehicle bomb in Kabul earlier today, as he was driving journalist colleagues to the office,' the BBC World Service said in a statement.

'Four BBC journalists were also injured and were treated in hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be life threatening,' the statement said.

'Mohammed Nazir worked as a driver for the BBC Afghan Service for more than four years and was a popular colleague. He was in his late thirties and he leaves a young family,' it said.

'This is a devastating loss to the BBC and to Mohammed Nazir's friends and family. We are doing all we can to support them and the rest of the team in Kabul.'

The truck bomb killed 90 people and wounded hundreds more.

The attack underscores spiralling insecurity in Afghanistan, where a military beset by soaring casualties and desertions is struggling to beat back the insurgents.

More than a third of the country is outside government control.

The neighbourhood is considered Kabul's safest area, with foreign embassies protected by dozens of 10-foot-high blast walls and government offices, guarded by police and national security forces.

The German Embassy, the Foreign Ministry and the Presidential Palace are all in the area, as are the British and the Canadian embassies. The Chinese, Turkish and Iranian embassies are also located there.

Britain's Foreign Office told MailOnline this morning: 'We strongly condemn this morning's attack which happened in the centre of Kabul during Ramadan. Our thoughts are with all the victims.

'All our staff are accounted for and the embassy remains operational. We are working closely with the Afghan authorities and the area has been secured by security forces.'

At the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital a few blocks away, there were scenes of chaos as ambulances brought in wounded and frantic relatives scanned casualty lists and questioned hospital staff for news.

'It felt like an earthquake,' said 21-year-old Mohammad Hassan, describing the moment the blast struck the bank where he was working. His head wound had been bandaged but blood still soaked his white dress shirt.

Another lightly wounded victim, Nabib Ahmad, 27, said there was widespread destruction and confusion.

'I couldn't think clearly, there was a mess everywhere,' he said.

Later, frenzy broke out outside the hospital as ambulances and police trucks began bringing in the bodies of those killed. Some bodies were burned or destroyed beyond recognition.

The blast was so heavy that more than 30 vehicles were either destroyed or damaged at the site of the attack.

Windows were shattered in shops, restaurants and other buildings up to half a mile from the blast site.

'There are a large number of casualties, but I don't know, how many people are killed or wounded,' said an eyewitness at the site, Gul Rahim.

The current death toll stands at 90 and hospitals have urged people to give blood to help some of the 350 who were injured

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Explosion: Windows were shattered in shops, restaurants and other buildings up to half a mile from the blast site

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Carnage: There were horrific scenes as workers covered in blood emerged from the scene of the blast. Hospitals have asked people to give blood

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An Afghan man carries an injured man to a hospital after the massive blast in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning. The explosion happened near embassies in the city

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Injured people fled from the scene of the attack nursing their injuries in the terrifying aftermath of this morning's attack

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The Taliban denied responsibility and said they condemned attacks that have no legitimate target and killed civilians

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The attack provided another clear demonstration that Ramadan, which began at the weekend, would provide little respite from the violence across Afghanistan

Ismail Kawasi, spokesman of the public health ministry, said the wounded were admitted to different Kabul hospitals.

Witnesses described dozens of cars choking the roads as wounded survivors and panicked schoolgirls sought safety, with men and woman struggling to get through security checkpoints to search for loved ones.

More than an hour after the explosion ambulances were still taking the wounded to hospital, as firefighters struggled to control blazes in several buildings.

TALIBAN ADVANCES AND A NEW ISIS STRONGHOLD: HOW AFGHANISTAN IS FIGHTING FOR ITS FUTURE

The attack in Kabul comes at a time when the security situation in Afghanistan has come under renewed scrutiny.

The Taliban have been stepping up their push to defeat the U.S.-backed government and reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster in a Washington-backed invasion.

Since most international troops withdrew at the end of 2014, the Taliban have gained ground and now control or contest about 40 percent of the country, according to U.S. estimates, though President Ashraf Ghani's government holds all provincial centres.

Meanwhile ISIS has established a stronghold in Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan, of which Jalalabad is capital, where it fights both the Taliban and Afghan government forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump is due to decide soon on a recommendation to send 3,000 to 5,000 more troops to bolster the small NATO training force and U.S. counter-terrorism mission now totalling just over 10,000.

The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, told a congressional hearing earlier this year that he needed several thousand more troops to help Afghan forces break a 'stalemate' with the Taliban.

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The Taliban still controls large parts of Afghanistan while ISIS also claims territory in Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan

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The attack in Kabul (pictured) comes at a time when the security situation in Afghanistan has come under renewed scrutiny

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A wounded man looks out a window near the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning. Afghanistan authorities are still battling for stability in the country

Earlier this month, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said the security situation in Afghanistan will further deteriorate even if there is a modest increase in U.S. military support for the war-torn country.

Afghan army units are pulling back, and in some cases have been forced to abandon more scattered and rural bases, and the government can claim to control or influence only 57 percent of the country, according to U.S. military estimates from earlier this year.

'The intelligence community assesses that the political and security situation in Afghanistan will almost certainly deteriorate through 2018, even with a modest increase in (the) military assistance by the United States and its partners,' Coats said in a Senate hearing.

In February, Army General John Nicholson, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said he needs several thousand more international troops to break a stalemate with the Taliban.

Deliberations include giving more authorities to forces on the ground and taking more aggressive action against Taliban fighters. This could allow U.S. advisers to work with Afghan troops below the corps level, potentially putting them closer to fighting, a U.S. official said.

President Ashraf Ghani's U.S.-backed government remains plagued by corruption and divided by factions loyal to political strongmen whose armed supporters often are motivated by ethnic, family, and regional loyalties.

Coats said that Afghanistan would struggle to decrease its reliance on the international community 'until it contains the insurgency or reaches a peace agreement with the Taliban.'

Manpreet Vohra, India's envoy to Afghanistan, told the Times Now television channel the blast hit around 100 metres as the crow flies from India's embassy, one of several in the area.

'We are all safe, all our staff, all our personnel are safe. However, the blast was very large and nearby buildings including our own building have considerable damage in terms of broken glass and shattered windows and blown doors etc,' he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: 'We strongly condemn the terrorist blast in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured.'

Aftermath: The blast was so heavy that more than 30 vehicles were either destroyed or damaged at the site of the attack

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More than an hour after the explosion ambulances were still taking the wounded to hospital, as firefighters struggled to control blazes in several buildings

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Bodies littered the street and a towering plume of smoke could be seen over the Afghan capital after the suicide car bomb blast blew out the windows in a number of international missions and residences nearby

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Wounded Afghan women were seen running from the scene of the attack this morning. The target of the attack is not yet known, but officials said most casualties were civilians

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Witnesses described dozens of cars choking the roads as wounded survivors and panicked schoolgirls sought safety, with men and woman struggling to get through security checkpoints to search for loved ones

The explosion also shattered windows at the French and Japanese embassies. 'Two Japanese embassy staffers were mildly injured, suffering cuts', a foreign ministry official in Tokyo told AFP.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis has warned of 'another tough year' for both foreign troops and local forces in Afghanistan.

Last month, the Afghan Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive, promising to build their political base in the country while focusing military assaults on the international coalition and Afghan security forces.

U.S. and Afghan forces have been battling the Taliban insurgency for more than 15 years. The United States now has more than 8,000 troops in Afghanistan, training local forces and conducting counterterrorism operations.

In the past year, they have largely concentrated on thwarting a surge of attacks by the Taliban, who have captured key districts, such as Helmand province, which U.S. and British troops had fought bitterly to return to the government.

TIMELINE OF TERROR: ATTACKS IN KABUL SINCE 2016

A massive truck bomb ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter on Wednesday, killing at least 90 people and wounding over 300.

Here are some of the worst attacks in the Afghan capital over the past year and a half:

2016

- January 20: A Taliban suicide bomber rams his car into a minibus belonging to television channel Tolo, killing seven of its employees, in the first major attack on the Afghan media.

- February 1: Twenty police officers are killed and 29 people injured in a Taliban suicide attack on a police base in Kabul.

- February 27: A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the defence ministry, killing 12 in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

- April 19: A truck bomb followed by a shootout leaves 64 people dead and more than 340 injured in central Kabul in a Taliban-claimed attack.

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A massive truck bomb ripped through Kabul's diplomatic quarter on Wednesday, killing at least 90 people and wounding over 300

- May 25: Ten people are killed in a Taliban suicide attack targeting a minibus carrying court employees in a western Kabul suburb.

- June 20: Fourteen Nepalese security guards employed by Western embassies are killed on the outskirts of Kabul, in a Taliban assault.

- June 30: A double suicide attack by the Taliban against a convoy of police recruits leaves 30 dead.

- July 23: Islamic State jihadists claim responsibility for twin explosions that rips through crowds of Shiite Hazaras in Kabul, killing at least 85 people and wounding more than 400.

- August 25: Sixteen people are killed after militants storm the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, in a nearly 10-hour raid that was not claimed.

- September 5: A double Taliban attack near the defence ministry leaves 41 dead and more than a hundred injured.

Overnight a third attack, which was not claimed, targets aid group CARE International in central Kabul. Six are injured.

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Wounded Afghan women and men gesture at the site of a car bomb attack in Kabul this morning. It is not the first time Kabul has been targeted by terrorists

- October 12: Islamic State claim responsibility for an attack on a shrine that kills at least 18 people gathering to mark Ashura, one of the most important Shiite festivals.

- October 19: Two Americans including a civilian are killed when a gunman opens fire near a NATO base in Kabul, with Afghan officials calling it an 'insider attack'.

- November 21: A massive suicide blast targeting Shiites kills at least 27 people and wounds 64 at a Kabul mosque in another sectarian attack claimed by IS.

2017

- January 10: Twin blasts near the Afghan parliament kill 38 people and wound 86.

- February 7: A suicide bomb rips through a crowd of Supreme Court employees, killing at least 20 and wounding 41. No group claims responsibility.

- March 1: Sixteen people are killed in simultaneous Taliban suicide assaults on two security compounds.

- March 8: Gunmen disguised as doctors storm Afghanistan's largest military hospital in a six-hour attack officially claimed by IS. The official death toll is 50 but security sources and survivors say it exceeded 100.

- May 3: A powerful blast targeting a foreign forces convoy near the US embassy and NATO headquarters kills at least eight people and wounds 28 during morning rush hour.

- May 31: At least 90 people are killed and hundreds wounded when a massive truck bomb rips through Kabul's diplomatic quarter, shattering windows hundreds of metres away.

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